Events scheduled to remember teens killed in Lincoln County crash

A memorial lantern release is scheduled for Sunday to honor the memory of three teens who were killed in a car crash
Published: Feb. 8, 2023 at 5:41 PM CST

LINCOLN COUNTY (KMOV) -- A memorial lantern release is scheduled for Sunday at Fairgrounds Park in Troy, Missouri, to honor the memory of three teens who were killed in a car crash early Sunday northeast of Moscow Mills in Lincoln County.

Participants are encouraged to arrive at 6 p.m. to write a message on a lantern, and the release is scheduled for 7 p.m.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a car crashed on South Chantilly Road around 4 a.m. Sunday, killing 18-year-old Will Flickinger, 17-year-old Emily McNees and 15-year-old Kaeden Tyler.

Friends of Flickinger gathered Wednesday for a balloon release in his memory at the football field at Troy Middle School.

“Will was a great person. He didn’t deserve this,” said Chase Thompson.

In comments made on social media, as parents of Flickinger’s classmates learned more about his difficult childhood, they grew increasingly concerned he wouldn’t be mourned properly.

“It was just bugging me to the point where I was just like, I have to do something,” said Brittany Selders, whose daughter was a classmate.

According to those who knew him, Flickinger had grown up in the foster care system, spent time staying with the families of friends and most recently was living with the family of a girlfriend. Because he was cremated and had no grave site, there was concern his friends would have no place to go to mourn his loss.

“They wanted somewhere they could go and sit and feel close to him,” said Selders.

So, Selders and the parents of other classmates created a t-shirt to honor Flickinger and are selling them to raise money. The money will be used to buy a park bench with a plaque on it with Flickinger’s name. The bench will be placed either at a park or the high school he went to.

The visitation for Flickinger is scheduled for Monday at 4 p.m. at McCoy Bloom Funeral Home. A memorial service will follow at 5 p.m.

You can click here to see the memorial shirt for Will Flickinger and how to purchase one.